1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device ensuring an encapsulation of electronic components, encapsulation which is hermetic, that is to say which does not allow gases and, very particularly, water vapour, to pass through.
2. Description of Related Art
In fact, as is known, the problem of eliminating or, at least, limiting moisture in the atmosphere surrounding electronic components is an acute problem.
It is known that the contaminant playing the greatest and most detrimental part with regard to the reliability of a discrete component or of an integrated circuit is the water content of the surrounding environment. In fact, moisture is especially liable to corrode the connecting contacts of the circuits; it also allows ions to solubilise and this reinforces the corrosion. These effects are highly sensitive in the case of integrated circuits and are all the more so the greater the scale of integration, that is to say the smaller the connecting contacts.
In the case of high-performance applications in a severe environment, such as military or space applications, it is known to employ component packages in which the base is made of ceramic and the cover made of metal sealed hermetically onto the base, a degassing operation being, moreover, generally provided before the cover is closed. A disadvantage of this solution is its cost of manufacture, which is very high.
Furthermore, encapsulating packages made of plastic are known, the cost of which is much lower but which have the disadvantage of not being hermetic.